Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-06-23


Gus to know about it. By an by he seq,
"Do you believe in dreams, Capt'n?"
Not in general" seq I cautious like,
fer I didn't want to scare him out. 81
never thought much about it though"
He didn't say no more fer some time,
but We sot lookin' into the fire an smok-
in. That is I was smokin.' Pretty soon
he fetched big breath an Strengthened
himself up with a sort of shiver.
sFire is comfortable thing under con-
troll like this, but terrible thing let loo
se," seq he.
$50 it's" seq /.
l see there was somethin' on his mind,
and purity soon he went on.
81 had strange dream last night. 1
saw my little girl just as plainly as 1 see
you now. 1t was like, and yet unlike
dream. I seemed to be lying upstairs
wide awake at the time, aid yet it seemed
too that / was asleep"
He stopped there an waited spell be-
fore say1n' anythin' more. 1 thought
maybe he wanted a little encouragement
from me SO L seq,
That's singular" seq /.
at seemed as if heard the clock strike
three and just then an alarm came in.
My little Mary smiled, and held out her
hand, jest as she used TO before she died,
and said. come papa, come now, dear
papa. suppose 1 awoke then, for it
was growing daylight. But can't get
over the idea that I have seen her. have
a feeling"
There he stopped and didn't say no
more. An as fer me, / couldn't; most al
iers I'd a laughed and joked it off, but
someway I didn't feel like / could joke a.
bout that. 1t was sorter solemn to me,
too.
Wal, 'twan't long afore we all turned in,
An no more was said about it. went
ter sleep in a hurry. / amt never &C.
counted fer the way was awake SO quick.
My eyes was wide open an I was just as
clear headed as ever / was ia my life. I
didn't know what to think on it, fer we
gifts SO used to bein' woke by alarms that
we seldom wakes ourselves, 1t struck me
as bein' so singular that lay there fer
minute er two wonderful about it, then
the clock began ter strike. One, two,
three. 1t had no more'n quit fore an
alarm come in. The minute that alarm
sounded it flashed over me what Jake had
told me about his dream in the evening.
Wal, sir, L jest turned cold. But there
want no time for wonoerin'. We was in
our places, er scramblin' fer 7em afore 4
had time to think about it agin. Then I
looked for jake. He was there in his
an never see man look SO changed as
he did. Why, sir, his face Jest shene.
Gle looked at me once Jest as the horses
started, an smiled. / never see SIGH a
smile as that was, sir, an nsinute after
we was ratt]in' through the streets liz the
dark.
The fire was in a big fouc story brown
stone, clean to the edge of our district
An there'd been some delay In gittin'
in the alarm. When we got up the smoke
was pourin' out of the winders an see
it was goin' to be nip an tuck if we saved
the house.
Some of the folks was standing ON the
sidewalk, an [ asked if they was all out
of the house.
''Uheres four in there yet seq some
one"
i tell We we got them ladders UP to
them winders in hurry Iknew 1T was
ten to one if they want all sufocated in
side then. Just as we got the ladders
set there was great shout went up
around Eae an see there was G woman
in one of the fourth floor windows. The
flames was burstin' out then an they LIT
up her face an form as she stood In the
glare of EN-. My heart gave Jump in
ter my mouth, fer L had seem that face
somewhere. Jake had gone clean out
of his mind, an was tryin' to place that
face. / thought first it was some friend
OF mine, an L was jest studyin' ON that
as gavemy orders. The ladder want
long enough TO reach the winder where
sae stood! tell ye, sir; that crowd Jest
hn Q6 rxhn hot
theme was no use tryin' to save her then
1t couldn't be done no other way but
with theladders. Jest then, some touehsd
my arm an looked around. 1t was Jake.
1t all come over me in hurry then. That
handsome woman was the same ore had
seen in the picture. Iiest felt sick.
'Cap'n,"-sez Jake, ''that's my wife Il
must try to save her."
The man lowered up before me like q
giant an see there want much use try
in to keep him back. But l was bound
to do it if / could, for / knew nothin' on
earth cozald get that woman out of that
there house then. The walls would fall
in three minutes. If could delay him
until they come down knew could save
his life. Sc / shouted back:
"It's madness! Yea can't do it.
Jake"
Then I see he was movin' off 1 grabbed
hold of him.
"Yeur wife is dead!" seq I. "This
woman may look like her"
mo, Capt'n,s seq he, an the old, sad
look came over him agin in minute.
He want near SO tall, ner SO straight, but
looked up at the woman as he spoke.
"She didn't die. The children did, but
She-went-WrOysC -
[ knew it without bein' told, bat want
goin' to let him give up his life fer sech
as her.
tShe amt worth it, Jaker' seq I, but he
shook me off. I don't believe he heard
me. He was just lookin' up at that hand
some face.
/ tried to hold him hat 'twan't no use.
He had the strengths of ten men, an was
half way up the ladder before could him !
der him. There was the same L. ok on |
his face as I seen there as we ratified out !
of the engine house. An the woman-she |
seemed calm enough, an sort of as if she |
didn't care till she see his face looking |
up at her. She screamed somethin, then. |
It seemed to me she said,-